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Egypt's military-backed interim government has moved to shut down its most vocal opponent - the Muslim Brotherhood. In its strongest action since overthrowing the democratically elected president of Egypt, Mohammed Morsi, in early July the government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. Muslim Brotherhood London-based spokesman Abdullah al-Haddad spoke with AM.

Transcript

TONY EASTLEY: Egypt's military-backed interim government has moved to shut down its most vocal opponent - the Muslim Brotherhood.

In its strongest action since overthrowing the democratically elected president of Egypt, Mohammed Morsi, in early July, the government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation.

As well as jailing its members the government has frozen the group's assets.

This was how Egypt's deputy prime minister, Hossam Eissa, announced the news a little earlier this morning.

HOSSAM EISSA (translated): Egypt's cabinet of ministers has resolved that Muslim Brotherhood group be declared a terrorist group and a terrorist organistion, as defined under Article 86 of the Egyptian penal code with its legal effects, namely first, enforcing all the penalties prescribed to any act of terrorism against any person taking part in the Muslim Brotherhood activities or promoting those activities by word or action or any other form.

Well Abdullah al-haddad is the spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, he's based in London.

Abdullah al-haddad, is the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation?

ABDULLAH AL-HADDAD: Terrorists don't march on state peacefully for more than six months. They don't participate in and win free and fair elections, democratic elections, and they don't engage in charity works with Egyptian society.

TONY EASTLEY: Why do you think the Egyptian government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation?

ABDULLAH AL-HADDAD: Because they want to, they know that this coup is failing socially, economically, and they want to legitimise their new path. They want to, they're seeking for any kind of establishing a new state that they, no-one can oppose them.

TONY EASTLEY: Is this ban the end of the Muslim Brotherhood then?

ABDULLAH AL-HADDAD: Labelling the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist will result in some sort of action.

We have seen this action since the beginning of this coup. There were thousands and thousands of people who are being killed, tortured, imprisoned. So the atrocities begun since the beginning of this coup. We are used to this; I mean we are not worried about the future of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood, it's been in the Egyptian society for the past, for more than 80 years.

What we are worried about is the future of democracy in Egypt. They are now establishing a new state of tyranny, terrorism, dictatorship. And there will be no hope for Egyptian people to see any, some sort of democratic process anymore.

What's going to happen now is the people are still on the street, anti-coup protestors are still peacefully protesting on the streets, and next few days will be very harsh and we are expecting that the atrocities will be maximum from then. They want to end this protest as any thought, even if it that would mean arresting all the people in the street

TONY EASTLEY: But Abdullah al-haddad, the assets of the Muslim Brotherhood have been frozen, the leaders and many members have been arrested. Can the Muslim Brotherhood survive as an organisation of some sort to provide opposition to the Egyptian government?

ABDULLAH AL-HADDAD: Yes sir, as I told you before, we are used to this and we have seen all this atrocities against the Muslim Brotherhood in the past 80 years, so we are not worried about the future of the Muslim Brotherhood.

TONY EASTLEY: Does the Muslim Brotherhood go, as it were, underground and does it take up an armed struggle against the government for instance?

ABDULLAH AL-HADDAD: No, there is only one way we choose to do this and it is the peaceful way. And this is the only way we believe in, this is the principles that we stand for and the 25th of January revolution, our 25th of January revolution is peaceful. And we have created a new state when we started, a new democratic oath. And now they are trying to get back before this 25th of January revolution. They have seen the new state of Mubarak regime is coming back, and simply now is destroying our army by engaging them into the political process.

We are worrying about the national security. Every Egyptian is now being threatened. We have seen the bodies, this terrorist attacks on the Egyptian people for the past six months.

We really need to end this military coup and restore our democracy back, restore our first democratically elected president back and get back to the right path.

TONY EASTLEY: Abdullah al-haddad, the spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, speaking to me from London.